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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29011818">Mr. And Mrs. Barnes</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/winterssmoulder/pseuds/winterssmoulder'>winterssmoulder</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Marvel Cinematic Universe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Avenger Reader (Marvel), Bucky Barnes Feels, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Bucky is smitten, Canon-Typical Violence, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fake Marriage, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Heavy Angst, Insecurity, Mutual Pining, Protective Bucky Barnes, Short-Haired Bucky Barnes, There's Only One Bed Trope, Undercover Missions, Undercover as Married, Undercover as a Couple, Vaginal Fingering, Vaginal Sex</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 12:41:18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,074</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29011818</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/winterssmoulder/pseuds/winterssmoulder</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Two H.Y.D.R.A operatives, a husband and wife, have been identified as living in a suburb in sunny upstate New York. The problem: the team has no clue which couple in said suburb is the one they're looking for. Bucky Barnes and (Y/N) (L/N) are sent undercover as newlyweds to identify and apprehend them.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>James "Bucky" Barnes/Reader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>92</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The frantic beeping of his alarm was a dreaded moment as Bucky laid in bed, his arm tucked under his pillow, the harshness of his metal limb poking at his temple even through the softness of his pillow.</p><p>It wasn't uncommon for him to be awake long before the sun had even begun to rise and the beeping of the alarm was still hours away. It wasn't uncommon for him to not sleep at all as well. Sometimes it was more manageable, for him at least, to lie awake through the entirety of nights darkness.</p><p>Rather lie awake and free of nightmares than sleep and be haunted by his past, which not so long ago was his present.</p><p>A mere six months had passed since he had begun his life at the compound. It had taken weeks of convincing on Steve's part, determined to give his friend a much more comfortable home than the rickety Brooklyn apartment Bucky had been living in after he was cleared of his crimes.</p><p>Stark had been reluctant, still cautious of him. And rightfully so, Bucky thought. There was no denying what he had done to Tony's family.</p><p>To the families of perhaps thousands of others.</p><p>
  <em>Beep. Beep. Beep.</em>
</p><p>There it was. The monotonous sound of his cell phone beeping to wake him up, despite him never having even drifted off to sleep in the first place. How he hated that noise.</p><p>He thought for a moment about asking someone how to change it but....well, he would be much to embarrassed to have to ask for help for something so simple.</p><p>He willed himself to get out of bed. His legs flopping over the side as he ripped the covers from his body, the cold air of his bedroom sending a shiver across his skin.</p><p>Another thing Bucky detested: The cold.</p><p>Bucky was halfway through slipping a t-shirt over his exposed torso when his phone beeped once more, a lighter tone than his alarm.</p><p>A message from Steve popped up on his lock screen: <em>No run today. New mission briefing in half an hour.</em></p><p>As stupid as it was, Bucky began to feel his heart contract at the change in plans, his breaths getting more rapid.</p><p>Routine was what kept him sane. The monotony of the past few months at the compound keeping his wandering thoughts in check. His daily routine left no time for thinking about anything other than what was happening at that moment or what would come in the next few hours.</p><p>It saved him from dwelling on the past or even thinking of it at all.</p><p><em>Pull yourself together, Barnes. You knew eventually you'd have to go on a mission. Don't act like a coward.</em> He thought to himself as he willed himself to finish dressing, his entire body feeling rather heavy as he toward the bathroom.</p><p>
  <em>You can't escape forever.</em>
</p><p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p><p>The compounds conference room was teeming with activity, the various members of the team chatting away about their weekends and future plans as they waited for the briefing to begin.</p><p>Bucky thanked whatever omniscient being was out there that he had overcome his anxiety in situations like these, where his sensitive ears could pick up every word every single person was saying all at once, becoming a jumble of words and chaos in his mind.</p><p>His eyes scanned the area, searching for a somewhat peaceful place to sit.</p><p>That's when his eyes landed on <em>her</em>.</p><p>He doesn't know why he's so surprised at his body and mind's reaction to her presence, it was always the same when (Y/N) was around.</p><p>His heart clenched, not in a way of dread but in a way that made him want to run toward her. His mind raced, his words became jumbled.</p><p>The chaos subsided.</p><p>Bucky remembered when it first began. He had spoken to her on occasion in his first months at the compound, always small greetings and farewells.</p><p>Then one day...well things became too much. Tony had been drinking and the team had been partying and Steve was away and he was alone in the chaos.</p><p>(Y/N) must have noticed, walking over to him. She stood right in front of him, her eyebrows furrowing in concern as she watched his eyes rapidly scan the room.</p><p>He flinched at the sound of a glass breaking, squeezing his eyes shut.</p><p>It sounded too much like a gunshot. Too much like how it used to sound mere seconds before he-no, the Winter Soldier. Not Bucky exactly but still him-ended a life.</p><p>Her voice seemed to rise over the chaos, soft and kind in her words. "Do you want to come up to my room? I just bought this new movie that I think you'd like."</p><p>Bucky felt himself begin to calm as (Y/N) had smiled up at him.</p><p>"Yeah, I'd like that a lot." He replied.</p><p>They had spent the following hours together, laughing at a cheesy comedy movie and telling stories to one another after it had ended.</p><p>(Y/N) had fallen asleep on his shoulder sometime late into the night, but Bucky didn't dare move, as if a butterfly had landed on the cool metal of his arm.</p><p>Bucky felt the exact same as he did at that moment every time he saw her now.</p><p>(Y/N) was having a conversation with Natasha, laughing every few minutes at the story the other woman was telling. She looked over after a moment, sensing his gaze on her.</p><p>Bucky felt like a grade-A creep, but she smiled waving for him to come over.</p><p>Natasha departed, signaling that she was getting called over by another team member as (Y/N) scooted the chair she was seated in toward the edge of the table, far from the rest of the team.</p><p>Bucky sat in the chair beside her. "Sorry, I didn't want to interrupt your conversation."</p><p>She waved him off. "Oh, it's fine. We were done anyway. How'd you sleep?"</p><p><em>Not at all</em>, Bucky thought. "I slept ok."</p><p>(Y/N) raised an eyebrow. "You're lying, Barnes."</p><p>"Really? What makes you say that?" Bucky replied.</p><p>"You have bags under your eyes, liar."</p><p>"You're right. My nightmares have been gettin' to me recently." Bucky confessed, almost wincing as he awaited her reaction. He hated the pitiful looks he was almost always given when he brought them up.</p><p>Instead, she smiled softly at him. "I understand. I'm always here if you need to talk about them. Or to talk about anything."</p><p>Bucky returned her smile. "I know. And the same goes for you."</p><p>"Just don't ever lie to me again or your friend privileges will be revoked." (Y/N) joked.</p><p>Bucky's heart clenched at the thought. "Never dream of it."</p><p>A small cough from Steve drew the attention to the front of the room. He placed a stack of files on the table, signaling for everyone to take one.</p><p>"I know we've been pretty laid back recently but let's all get focused. This mission is extremely important so listen." Steve said, emphasizing the last word as Tony slipped his cell phone into his back pocket.</p><p>"We have been informed by one of our undercovers at the HYDRA headquarters that they are creating a toxic chemical that can wipe out an entire city with one spray into the air," He began. "They have been told the location these chemicals are being made."</p><p>Silence fell over the table as they flipped through the files. Bucky's eyebrows furrowed together as he scanned over the formula for what he assumed to be the chemical. He glanced up at Tony and Banner who were doing the same, their eyebrows furrowed not out of confusion but with worry.</p><p>"So, " Sam interrupted the silence. "Are you going to tell us where or are you doing the silence thing out of suspense?"</p><p>(Y/N) giggled beside Bucky, causing the sides of his mouth to twitch upward.</p><p>"We don't know exactly. We know the general area and a general description of the chemists who are making it." Steve stated.</p><p>Natasha began to read the description. "'Young adult female and a young adult male.' Yeah, I'd say it's pretty general."</p><p>"They're posing as a couple upstate. We've been tasked with identifying and apprehending them." Steve continued.</p><p>(Y/N) frowned. "Won't that raise some alarms? The entire Avengers showing up in a neighborhood knocking on doors."</p><p>"That's why we're only sending two of us."</p><p>Silence fell once more.</p><p>"And those people are?" Sam asked, drawing out the last word.</p><p>"That's what we're here to decide, " Steve said. "Tony and Banner will have to stay to try and develop a cure for the chemical if it gets released before we can stop it. I'll be staying to...oversee them."</p><p>Tony scoffed. "So trusting, Cap."</p><p>"You get sidetracked too easily and Banner won't tell you no." Steve retorted.</p><p>"I'm too recognizable. So is Natasha. Our cover will be blown before we even begin, " Wanda stated. "(Y/N) hasn't been on many public missions. She barely gets recognized out on the street."</p><p>Bucky felt his heart clench. This time it was dread.</p><p>He knew she could take care of herself. All those years of training with S.H.I.E.L.D before its downfall weren't for nothing, but still the thought of what could happen, what could go wrong, taunted him. </p><p>"If she goes I go." He blurted out, unable to stop the words from escaping his mouth before it was too late.</p><p>Everyone looked in his direction.</p><p>Steve shot him a knowing look. Bucky could tell he knew how Bucky felt about her.</p><p>"Alright, it's settled then. The two of you will be posing as newlyweds who just bought a home in the neighborhood." Steve stated.</p><p>Bucky felt his heart drop to his feet. No one had mentioned <em>that</em> in the brief. </p><p>Not that he was really reading the file. He was much too focused on (Y/N).</p><p>Sam patted him on the shoulder as he moved to stand. Bucky shrugged his hand off.</p><p>"Have fun, <em>Mrs. Barnes</em>." He joked, shooting (Y/N) a grin.</p><p>Bucky shot his gaze toward (Y/N), gauging her reaction.</p><p>She smiled. As if the nickname didn't sound too bad to her.</p><p>It definitely didn't to him.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A tuft of hair falls into the sink, settling around the drain along with the dozens of others.</p><p> </p><p>Bucky could feel his hands trembling as he reached for another section, taking a deep breath inward before snipping it off, his eyes following it as it traveled to join the others.</p><p> </p><p>It wasn't really much of a disguise, but it was just enough to change his appearance to make him barely recognizable to the public.</p><p> </p><p>They've only seen him as the soldier, his mouth muzzled; hair framing his jaw and goggles covering most of his face.</p><p> </p><p>Silencing him and blinding him.</p><p> </p><p>Running his fingers through his hair, Bucky stares at himself in the mirror.</p><p> </p><p>It makes him look younger. Much younger.</p><p> </p><p>Reaching for a razor, he lines it up with the beginnings of his beard, removing the already trimmed hairs from his face.</p><p> </p><p>He only looks in the mirror again once he's done.</p><p> </p><p>Bucky feels his heart race. He looks too much like he did before. When his soul was young and pure and his mind wasn't scrambled and dark.</p><p> </p><p>Except he wasn't that Bucky anymore. His eyes held too much memory behind and his mouth wasn't quirked in the almost constant grin he once wore.</p><p> </p><p>The rest of his features were just a taunt of what he once was.</p><p> </p><p>Maybe he shouldn't have volunteered for this mission. He could have prolonged doing this to himself. Having to morph back into the taunting image of before the fall to disguise himself.</p><p> </p><p>Then he remembers (Y/N). He would be with her and somehow it made it all more manageable.</p><p> </p><p>Still, he couldn't look in the mirror a second longer.</p><p> </p><p>It had never occurred to Bucky how incredibly terrible he was at packing. Or maybe it was just because of his wandering and preoccupied mind that he couldn't seem to fit all of his things into his bag that was perfectly capable of holding it all.</p><p> </p><p>He tossed all his clothes out, folded them back into his duffle bag, tossed them out again with an agitated groan once they began to pile over the top.</p><p> </p><p>"Need some help?" A soft voice called from the doorframe, a gentle knock coming shortly before the words.</p><p> </p><p>"Was I being that loud?" Bucky asked, running his fingers through his freshly trimmed hair, still surprised as his fingers reached the ends so quickly.</p><p> </p><p>(Y/N) smiled, making her way over to him, picking up a few items of clothing he had tossed to the floor in frustration. "I was just passing through. Thought you might want some company."</p><p> </p><p>"So yes?"</p><p> </p><p>"Yes," she confessed, her expressing changing after a moment. "Your hair looks nice. No beard too. Very sleek."</p><p> </p><p>"Thank you. Thought it'd help make me less recognizable. I'm sure we'd get our cover blown if anyone noticed the Winter Soldier roaming their neighborhood. Parents would lose their minds." Bucky stated.</p><p> </p><p>"Don't say that. Children love you. Besides, no one has any reason to be scared of you." (Y/N) stated matter-o-factly.</p><p> </p><p>It was silent for a moment, both of them pausing the folding of Bucky's clothes and placement of them in his bag.</p><p> </p><p>Bucky looked away from (Y/N) first, placing a pair of his socks neatly into his bag. "Still, it's safer for us that I cut it. The public knows me as 'guy with long hair, metal arm, and mask'. You've never had a mission out in the public. No one will bother recognize us."</p><p> </p><p>"Well, seeing as I know you as <em>Bucky</em> and not 'guy with long hair and a mask', I can still see it's you. A bit different but still <em>Bucky</em>." She stated, zipping up his bag for him.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>You don't know me like you think you do, doll. If you did, you wouldn't be standing so close to me right now. You'd know there's a reason to fear me.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>But Bucky doesn't say that.</p><p> </p><p>He doesn't say anything at all because she's smiling at him. Eyes bright and full of kindness that he doesn't know how she can show him.</p><p> </p><p>She must be able to tell he's staring. He's looking her directly in the eyes and he's certain his body is inching toward her every millisecond they stand in silence.</p><p> </p><p>But she doesn't say anything either.</p><p> </p><p>The duffle bag hits the floor as (Y/N)'a cellphone pings in her back pocket, causing her to loosen her grip in surprise.</p><p> </p><p>Bucky reaches down for it, gripping the strap tightly in his hands, it's fabric still warm from her touch.</p><p> </p><p>"It's Tony. He's waiting for us out front." (Y/N) stated, rubbing her hands over the sides of her legs after sticking her phone back into her pocket.</p><p> </p><p>Bucky lingers behind for a moment. "Thanks for helping me out. I'm a bit...out of it. This being my first mission since..."</p><p> </p><p>(Y/N) smiles knowingly. "We're supposed to be playing husband and wife, remember? Well, helping her husband is what a wife does. She's there for him."</p><p> </p><p>The words send a shock to Bucky's heart.</p><p> </p><p>"Ready to go, Mr. Barnes? Your wife is waiting for you."</p><p> </p><p>Bucky knows she saying it as a joke. A airy way to easy the tension of his obvious unease.</p><p> </p><p>But his heart can't help but skip a beat.</p><p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p><p>"Now, I called local law enforcement in the area to let them know you're coming. They didn't seem to thrilled about it. Said they could handle it themselves because you know how they are but I pulled some strings and they'll let you guys do as you please for the mission." Tony explained as he helped (Y/N) toss her things into the trunk of the SUV.</p><p> </p><p>A family car. No suspicious markings. No questions from curious neighbors.</p><p> </p><p>Bucky tossed his bag in the trunk. "Anything else we need to know?"</p><p> </p><p>"I don't know? Is there?" Tony mocked.</p><p> </p><p>(Y/N) frowned. "Just answer the question please. I'd like to know everything is under control before we disappear into the horizon."</p><p> </p><p>Tony sighed, reaching into his pocket. "Here."</p><p> </p><p>He placed a small velvet box in (Y/N) hands, reaching to hand one to Bucky. "Be careful with those. They were 5 grand a pop."</p><p> </p><p>Bucky opened the box.</p><p> </p><p>A delicate ring sat atop the dark velvet interior, glimmering in the sunlight.</p><p> </p><p>They were playing husband and wife. Husband and wives wore rings.</p><p> </p><p>(Y/N) removed the ring from her own box, turning to face Bucky. "I think this one is supposed to be yours."</p><p> </p><p>Without a warning she grabbed hold of his free wrist, slipping the ring onto his right ring finger.</p><p> </p><p>Bucky blinked, looking down at the silver band that contrasted against his skin.</p><p> </p><p>Despite it being on the wrong hand, it felt so right on his finger.</p><p> </p><p>Too right. Too <em>normal</em>. </p><p> </p><p>For a moment his imagination ran rampant, images bouncing around in his mind as he slipped (Y/N) ring on her finger.</p><p> </p><p>They're in a small chapel, just like the one he used to go to with his mother after Sunday breakfast as a child, slipping the rings onto one another instead of the compound parking lot.</p><p> </p><p>(Y/N) is smiling, veil draped over her hair and white fabric covering her body.</p><p> </p><p>Then the image fades as he remembers where he is. <em>Who</em> he is.</p><p> </p><p>He isn't there with her. He's slipping this ring onto her finger before a mission where she'll pretend to love him.</p><p> </p><p>It'll be fake. A manufactured love story between the versions of them they made up for this mission.</p><p> </p><p>Real life (Y/N) deserved much better than real life Bucky Barnes.</p><p> </p><p>"Let's get a move on. I want to set up everything in the house before tomorrow." (Y/N) said, her voice ripping him from his spiraling thoughts.</p><p> </p><p>She makes her way around the SUV, plopping herself into the passengers seat.</p><p> </p><p>Tony gives Bucky a lingering glance before turning to renter the compound.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Don't let anything happen to her, Barnes.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Bucky knows that's what the look means.</p><p> </p><p>And the look he gives Tony back communicates a promise, not just to Tony but to himself.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>I'll protect her with my life.</em>
</p>
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